Page Two
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Tuesday, November 9, 1971
Ricci:
By DONALD SOSIN
There are violinists and violin-
ists. And then there is Ruggiero
Ricci. In the type of playing for
which he is best known, pyro-
technical display, he is insur-
passable. His recital in Hill
Auditorium last night, the sec-
ond concert in the Choral Union
Series of the University Musical
Society, was a reflection of this
technique.
The program focused on works
of enormous difficulty - works
intended to astound the listener.
These included the Perpetual
Impressive
at
Motion by Paganini and Ernst's
arrangement of Hungarian airs.
The Paganini has been ar-
ranged for orchestras and band,
but is most impressive in its
original version, and was most
impressive last night. The con-
trol that Ricci displayed in
spicatto bowing and in flawless
intonation left one open-mouthed
with amazement. The Ernst work
did not reach the same level of
perfection, but was not far from
it. The problems here arose in
the accompaniment, played by
Rebecca Penneys, who frequent-
ly failed to match the subtle
rhythmic deviations that Ricci
executed with great flair.
In a suite from Stravinsky's
Le Baiser de la Fee, originally
a ballet based on Tschaikowsky
themes, rhythmic fluctuations
in the piano occurred where
none should have. Stravinsky
was nothing if not a composer of
precise harsh rhythms, and Pen-
neys' failure to maintain an ab-
solutely steady beat prevented
the work from sounding as tight
as it is.
The suite calls for complete
precision beneath a feeling of
throwing caution to the winds.
While there was no question
about Ricci's ability to field all
,shots that came his way, one
was somewhat disappointed in
his partner's efforts.
The two did work together to
produce a fine rendition of Bee-
thoven's Sonata in E flat, Op.
12, No. 3, which opened the eve-
ning. With a few exceptions,
Beethoven's violin sonatas are
on a grand scale. This good-na-
tured work contains many won-
derful moments, including sly
references to other Beethoven
Hill<
themes. Throughout its three
movements Ricci's tone was
sweet without being cloying, and
Penneys executed the tricky part
with aplomb, despite a tendency
to rush now and then.
The heart of the program was
the Bach Sonata No. 3,in C
major for solo violin. Ricci did
it justice as far as notes and
phrasing went. and was especial-
ly convincing in the fugue,, a
peak of difficulty in Bach's solo
writing. But there was a dimen-
sion missing. One did not, learn
anything from the perforrtm nce.
Playing Bach and listening to it
can be an intensely moving ex-
perience. ,There is so much
depth in the music, and so many
feelings can be projected from
it. Ricci is a sensitive musician,
but was not drawn into his
thoughts, and did notlfeel he was
creating ideas for us to ponder.
With the two encores he was
back in his milieu, playing the
rarely-heard Ysaye Sonata No.
3, and the Paganini variations
on God Save the Queen. The last
is a specialty of Ricci's, and its
performance was sensational. As
a master of sleight of hand, there
is no one that can touch him.
Godot opens
tomorrow
University Players' productionI
of Waiting for Godot will open to-
morrow night in Trueblood Aud.
The performances will continue
through Saturday evening.
Godot was written by Samuel
Beckett, arid was first pModuced
in Paris in 1953.
The action of the play centers
around two days in the lives of
two bums, who spend their time
waiting for Godot. They will spend
their entire lives waiting, for Go-
dot will never come.
Curtain times for all perform-
ances will be 8 p.m.
F El p
ME
Wed., Nov. 10-4 P.M.
A LECTURE on
i'i
r
I
.
Concertus Musicus:
A return to the past
By JOHN HARVITH
From Wanda Landowska's revolutionary resuscitation of the
harpischord to Adolph Busch's novel insistence on chamber-sized
Bachian orchestras, this century has witnessed a growing awareness
of performance practices of the past.
Saturday night at Rackham Auditorium, the University Mu-
sical Society furthered this historical progression by giving Ann
Arborites their first opportunity to experience a live performance
by Vienna's Concentus Musicus, a chamber group which has made
this musical era's most dramatic break with traditional Stokowski-
ized Bach.
Utilizing reliable eighteenth-century contemporary sources on
performance practice, the ensemble is composed entirely of original
(or precisely copied) Baroque instruments tuned down more than
half a tone from standard concert pitch. The musicians consciously
employ vibrato for isolated expressive effects instead of producing
the fat, ever-rich tone which most contemporary musicians apply
to both Brahms and Bach. Yet, unlike the dry fossilized sounds the
average concert-goer may associate with "original" instruments
and the practical performance results of musicological research;
the Concentus avoids a "museum" approach. Indeed, according
to the group's founder and director, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, the
Concentus' strives for interpretive freedom in improvised orna-
mentation- and rhythmic flexibility.
Sensitive but alert string accompaniments haloed the mellow,
non-piercing timbre of solo Baroque oboes in Albinino's C-major
Concerto, featuring poignant economical use of string vibrato in
the adagio and exquisite highlighting of inner voices in the effer-
vescent allegro. William Lawes' Purcellish Fantasia, "On the Plain-
song" and Air for string quartet was consummately served by the
musicians' passionate attacks and eerie pianissimi.
A dance suite drawn from Rameau's operatic masterpiece
"Castor et Pollux" revealed the French theoretician-composer as. a
first-class musical wit, possessing all the invention and humanity
of a Haydn. The Concentus, obviously spurred on by Rameau's un-
expectedly abrupt' phrase-endings and sudden excursions from
major to minor, tossed off one miraculously ornamented move-
ment after another, from the aristocratic "menuet" and piquant
"tambourin" (with clearly heard traverse flute doublings) to the
arbitrary, surprise transitions of the "chaconne."
. Ensemble spirit triumphed in Bach's Fifth Brandenburg Con-
certo as the musicians provided an object lesson in inspired musi-
cology, Although the familiar opening allegro went at breakneck
speed, it never sounded rushed, but breathed naturally with re-
-ined, subdued string tone. The astounding virtuosity displayed by
all performers transformed the music into a fluent, mercurial
whole, with the solo harpsichord's cadenza dazzling in its intensity.
The "affetuoso" became light and airy with the traverse flute's
velvety tone perfectly matched to the violin in rubato rhythm over
i steady bass. The winged concluding allergo reaffirmed Harnon-
court's credo of spontaneity and vibrancy above all-a credo of
'which too many musical groups today have apparently lost sight.
Corner of State and Liberty Sts.
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The School of Music and Department of Art present
MOZART'S OPERA
The Magi Fute
English translation by Josef Blatt
NOVEMBER 19, 20, 22, & 23-8 P.M.
MENDELSSOHN THEATRE
$1.50 & $3.00 ($1.50 tickets for U-M students only)
Conductor Josef Buatt Stage Director; Ralph Herbert
TICKET INFORMATION: 764-6118
MAIL ORDERS: School of Music Opera, Mendelssohn Theatre,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
Please enclose self-oaddressed, stamped envelope
BOX OFFICE OPENS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, AT 12:30 P.M.
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
PRESENTS
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 8:30 pan.
Bowen Field House
TICKETS-$3.50, $4.50, $5.50
Available at
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" Ann Arbor Music Mart, Liberty St.
" Michigan Union
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